The Secret of Nakama Shi
by Mei Eden
Summary: AU In a future governed by fear, the bond of friendship gives a child thief, a perfect government soldier, a servant girl, a prostitute, a beggar, the leader of a rebellion, and more the glimmer of hope in a hopeless Society.most RK chars will appear
1. rain

The Secret of Nakama-Shi

By MeiEden

_Summary:_ In the distant future, in a society of rigid class lines and a world governed by fear, the bond of fragile friendship between strikingly different individuals gives a child thief, a perfect government soldier, a servant girl, a prostitute, a beggar, the leader of a rebellion, and many more the glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless Society. Most significant RK characters will appear in this fic. Enjoy and please review!

08/30/2007 – OMG. I totally forgot I had written this fic, and because I remember how much I wanted to write it, I plan on updating it again. Although it's been a really long time since I last updated (because for some reason I forgot it..), I will do my best to try to update regularly from now on – once every one-two weeks. Please review!! It motivates me to keep going when I get lazy! I'm halfway through writing Chapter 2.. so look forward to that in the near future.

Chapter 1: Rain

Author's note: This is a Rurouni Kenshin AU fic. I will try to keep the characters somewhat in character personality-wise, but please note that a few ages will NOT coincide with those found in the anime/manga. I hope you like it, and if you feel so inclined, PLEASE review! Thanks.

_December 1, 2070_

_I used to believe that if only we were together, we would be free. That's what "Nakama-shi" meant—an everlasting bond of loyalty, of trust, and the only form of rebellion we had against The Society. In the beginning, it had seemed hopeless—each of us trapped in the role we were born for, the role The Society designed for us. "Nakama-shi" began as a simple promise, merely a small grain of hope, and later evolved into an entity. It was the one fragile thread that tied me to Him... For that reason alone, I still hold to it—the friendship bond.. the "path to freedom". I don't believe in freedom anymore. I'm no longer optimistic, and hope is dwindling away. Because of me, the only people in my life who actually mattered were almost destroyed. Because of me..none of us have hope anymore._

_- # C572134 Kamiya Kaoru_

(Taken from "The Diary of Kamiya Kaoru: A Personal History of The Society")

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"Rain, rain go away..come again another day.."

A young girl sang the ancient children's song as she watched the rain splatter against the windowpane of the tiny restaurant at the end of Avenue B in the middle of District 5 on the outskirts of Tokyo III. She had heard the song once many years ago before The Society came and took away the restaurant telescreen. She hadn't heard any music since then. Sano- niichan said it was because The Society thought too much frivolous music would be detrimental to the productivity of the citizens of Tokyo. She didn't think she liked The Society very much, and when Sano-niichan didn't let her sing the one song she knew, she didn't like him very much either. This morning it was okay though, because Sano-niichan had gone to work for the Important people in Tokyo V—the people with Names. Nobody would tell her to stop until afternoon, when Sano-niichan returned.

Outside the window, people were rushing about with preparations for the annual Society Entourage to be held that day. The girl never liked the annual parade. Leader Shishio's army of invincible soldiers, the Juppongatana, frightened her, and when they came, she had a tendency to hide in a corner of the restaurant, wishing very much to be invisible. She hated their cold, mocking eyes as they ordered the restaurant staff around, barking out their number-names as the servants meekly obeyed. She was number "C572134", but because she had been under the required working age of 10 before this year, she'd never had to hear her own number on their lips.

This year would be different though, and she shuddered at the thought of their angry eyes and violent demeanor. Last year, one of the boys had been crippled, and a girl only a few years older than herself had been taken away, never to be seen again. She had been good friends with the girl, and they had given each other nicknames as terms of endearment when they played together as children. Instead of the usual "C572134", she had been "Raccoon", and the other girl had been "Fox". Sano-niichan and Fox were always fighting, but when she was taken away, he had angrily lashed out at the Juppongatana soldier who grabbed her. After the beating he received, Sano-niichan lay near-death in bed for three weeks, and his body still bore the scars of that night. He never spoke of Fox or that day again, and instead threw himself whole-heartedly into his work for The Society he hated so much. Nothing else had changed. Sano-niichan was still Sano- niichan— forever a contradiction.

"C572134!!! What are you doing here all dazed like that!! Today's an important day! The Juppongatana will be here soon, wanting to eat..there's not enough time for you to be playing around! You're officially a worker at the Akabeko now that you're 10.."

The girl looked up at the restaurant owner's daughter, whose face was drawn tightly in an expression of worry and fatigue. Although only a few years older than the young girl, the responsibilities of transferring restaurant ownership made her look many years older than 14, and the once sparkling eyes and childish smile were only a faint trace amidst the stress consuming her youth.

C572134 lowered her eyes and mumbled an apology, quickly rushing to the kitchen to help with the day's preparations.

-----A sword flashed quickly, slicing the virtual image in two perfectly equal pieces, and Aoshi nodded with approval as the last and hundredth VR enemy dissolved into a gory mess on the ground, de-pixelizing rapidly with each step the general took toward the new recruit.

"Well done, H013.. You have much promise. General Hiko Seijuro is indeed a master trainer as reputed, and his prodigy lives up to The Society's expectations."

The boy looked up at Aoshi with expressionless violet eyes flaked with gold. _What an unusual color._. As always, the general noted with much interest the eyes of a Hitokiri—a race born of the few survivors of the radioactive explosion 16 years ago which had destroyed all of Tokyo I. Hundreds of thousands had died that day, and the few who lived would never be the same again. The radiation changed them—altered them into something not quite human, as evident by the bright red hair and violet-gold eyes of the youth that stood now, sword in hand, in front of the general of the Oniwabanshuu.

"You will no longer serve under me in the Oniwabanshuu. Your skills show that you will be better use elsewhere. From today, you will officially be the youngest member to ever join the ranks of Shishio-sama's Juppongatana.. You will be the tenth, and your name.."

The boy's expression changed slightly at the mention of a name. This was different. Only elite members of The Society were allowed the privilege of a name. As long as he could remember, he had been H013.

"..will be Hitokiri Battousai."

_Not really a name then..Of course.. another label to mark my lack of humanity._. The boy shrugged coolly and sheathed his sword. "As you wish, Aoshi-sama.." At least it was better than a number.

"As you know, today is the Society Entourage festival in Tokyo III. Please report to the front lobby. The rest of the Juppongatana have converged already and are ready to depart. They've been waiting for you.."

The hitokiri nodded and bowed deeply, showing the proper respect to his former superior. Without another word, he turned on his heel and silently disappeared from the room. Aoshi watched the redhead leave thoughtfully, his cool blue eyes hardening with contemplation. _That one..will be dangerous.. His killing aura is unchecked. It's never safe..to trust a hitokiri. Look what happened with Hitokiri Ji-neh.. He left countless Soldiers and Citizens dead... It was H013...no, Hitokiri Battousai, who finally disposed of that nuisance.. Perhaps he can be trusted, but even so, he's still a hitokiri.. What could Shishio-sama be thinking? _

With a sigh, Aoshi left the VR training room. It didn't matter to him anymore, after all. Anything outside of his jurisdiction was none of his concern. If the Hitokiri Battousai grew up to murder all of Shishio-sama's court, it had nothing to do with him..not unless he threatened the Oniwabanshuu of course. Then, and only then would Aoshi be required to take action.

Hitokiri Battousai silently slid into the backseat of one of the Juppongatana hovercars. As soon as he had reached the lobby and been quickly introduced to the other members of Shishio's Guard he'd been ushered out the door behind Soujirou, a boy with an everlasting smile plastered on his face. Now Soujirou sat next to him in the car, the trademark smile still dancing across his face as he curiously eyed the new addition to the Guard. Battousai ignored him, never having been one for small talk and stared out the window, watching the scenery outside change as the hovercar flew through Tokyo V on it way to the inner city districts. Everywhere he looked, he saw signs of festival preparations—the banners and colorful designs praising Shishio and his Society, the Citizens bowing low to the ground as the hovercars rushed past, groveling in the mud, even in the rain to pay homage to The Society Entourage. He turned away in disgust.

At first he'd thought that being part of the Juppongatana would be his ultimate goal. Once achieved, he could finally find the peace Tomoe had spoken of. She said he needed to belong, and she offered him _Nakama-shi_—a sacred bond in an ancient language which invoked the concept of what she called "friendship". Not understanding, he had scoffed at her.

"What do you know of ancient languages? Who cares anyway? Shishio has no use for it, and neither does the rest of The Society? What do you know of anything? You're just a high-class whore. You think you're so special because you have a name? A whore..is a whore no matter what they call her."

He immediately regretted his words then upon seeing the look of pain flash across her face. That had been two years ago when he was 15. She was gone now, but he still remembered her. How could he forget her? Even after what he said, she was the only person he could talk to then, the only one who accepted him for who he was. If he was cruelty, then she was kindness. If he was a sword, then she was a sheath. No matter how angrily he struck at her, she absorbed his words and all of his menace; she absorbed it until there was nothing left, and he trusted her—only her. He felt solace in the company of the one he so vehemently called a whore. She offered him _Nakama-shi_, and he had killed her—the only friend he had. It wasn't until after she was dead that he allowed himself to accept the sacred bond. He thought that he could find it again if he became a part of something.

Now that he belonged to THE elite Guard of The Society though, he still felt empty. Seeing the Citizens grovel before him only sickened him. They only bowed because of Fear. Any act of disobedience would result in immediate death.

"The strong survive, and the weak die." Soujirou's boyish voice brought Battousai out of his reverie. The fellow Juppongatana member smiled brightly as Battousai turned to look at him. "It's the Juppongatana motto. We are the way we are because we are strong. The Citizens are the way they are because they are weak. They need our strength."

Battousai nodded slightly. "But perhaps.. they need much more than just strength.."

Soujirou smiled. "Perhaps, but they will never understand, and because they are weak, they will never seek to understand.. Oh look, we're at the Akabeko!"

The hovercar stopped in front of a small, plain-looking building at the end of the street they'd been traveling on. It seemed odd that a group as prestigious as the Juppongatana would choose such a simple restaurant over the more luxurious Sakura Hotel near the center of the District, and Battousai gave his carmate a puzzled look. Soujirou beamed in understanding.

"The food here is much better than any restaurant in the District, and we have always come here traditionally on our annual festival visits to District 5. The fancier restaurants were later additions to the district, and Shishio-sama felt it was unnecessary to change a good thing."

Battousai accepted the explanation and stepped out of the car as the driver opened the door for Soujirou and him. He eyed the simple restaurant warily. Something about the place unnerved him, as if an invisible something was watching him from within, and unconsciously, he put his hand to the hilt of his sword. Seeing this, Soujirou laughed out loud. "Is something wrong, Battousai-san? There's nothing dangerous here. It's just food, and nobody would dare to poison the Juppongatana. Come on..I'm hungry..Let's go!"

Not letting down his guard for an instant, Battousai followed after Soujirou as a small woman with brown hair pulled back into a neat bun warmly ushered the Juppongatana into the restaurant with many smiles and bows.

As they seated themselves around the table, a young girl in a light yellow kimono rushed up to them and lowered her eyes with proper etiquette to the high-ranking table of Guards. Battousai watched with interest as she shifted nervously, obviously uncomfortable in the presence of the Juppongatana. Perhaps it was the first time she'd ever served so many powerful people at once. It was almost amusing, seeing her look up nervously with her bright blue eyes, uncertain how to act in front of her guests. In the corner, the woman with brown hair looked at the girl sternly, making rapid gestures with her hands. The girl quickly lowered her eyes again and cleared her throat.

"Hello... I...I am your servant fo..for today. My number is C572134, and the menus are on the scr..s.creens in front of you. Please allow me to fulfill any requests you might have."

She let out a sigh of relief as she finished her speech, and looked up again, more confidently this time. Staring at her, Battousai felt an uncomfortable feeling rise up from within him, and for just an instance, Tomoe's face flashed through his mind.

_"I offer you Nakama-shi, the sacred bond of an ancient language lost many years ago. I'm offering you... my friendship"  
_  
End of Chapter 1.

Well I hope you guys like it so far. I have lots of ideas in my head for this story, and feedback would be much appreciated – whether you like or dislike what I'm writing. Reviews are definitely a great way for me to improve my writing and make it a more enjoyable read for you guys as readers. ) Thanks! --MeiEden


	2. roses

The Secret of Nakama-Shi

By MeiEden  
Author's note: This is a Rurouni Kenshin AU fic. I will try to keep the characters somewhat in character personality-wise, but please note that a few ages will NOT coincide with those found in the anime/manga. I hope you like it, and if you feel so inclined, PLEASE review! Thanks.

08/30/2007 – OMG. I totally forgot I had written this fic, and because I remember how much I wanted to write it, I plan on updating it again. Although it's been a really long time since I last updated (because for some reason I forgot it..), I will do my best to try to update regularly from now on. Please review!! It motivates me to keep going when I get lazy!

Chapter 2: Roses

_August 24, 2071_

_Who would have thought such unlikely and different people would band together in retaliation. That such a simple thing we called "Nakama-shi" could create a revolution to change the world as we knew it. Megumi once told me that "Nakama-shi" was like cancer. It starts out in a single cell and spreads to all the different parts of a body. It can start in the heart and move to the lungs and to your skin, all seemingly independent but deeply inter-related, until at last it destroys the world it lives in. Perhaps we were wrong to seek destruction, even if it was the Society we wanted to attack. But The Society was made up of people, and "Nakama-shi" of people's hearts. We had forgotten that once Cancer destroys the body, it destroys itself._

_- # C572134 Kamiya Kaoru_

(Taken from "The Diary of Kamiya Kaoru: A Personal History of The Society")

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A sweet floral scent filled the air as Megumi opened the door to her bedroom. Her mouth curved into a slight frown as her eyes drank in the sight of a hundred red roses strewn haphazardly all over her private sanctuary. _This is the tenth time this month I've had to clean up after the idiot. _Sighing, she lifted a finger to select the touch-screen option on the communications monitor on the wall which would call a servant to clean up the mess. Then she stopped, changed her mind, and began picking them up herself and piling them up outside her door where the cleaning bots would collect them in their hourly rounds. She could never quite get used to calling the servants by their numbers and watching them grovel and bow to her like she was someone important. After all, she had been one of _them _once.

For an instant, childhood laughter filled her mind as she remembered picking daisies with the Raccoon so many years ago. They had weaved the small white flowers into fragile little crowns to place around their heads, imagining they were the princesses Sanosuke used to tell them stories about. She drank in the memory of Sanosuke, smiling at the memory of the boy trying to be a man who had taken care of her and the Raccoon, taking the role of leader in their tiny makeshift family even though she was older than him. Was he alive? She highly doubted it, remembering his crumpled lump of a body lying still in a pool of blood as the Soldiers took her away, sobbing. She gasped as a sharp pain stabbed her finger. She looked down at the droplet of scarlet blooming on the tip of her index finger. The damn rose had pricked her! _Daisies are so much prettier than roses…so much more innocent. But I'm more suitable for roses… Sano always did say he liked daisies.. _

"Megumi, I see you didn't like my gift."

The angry nasal male voice startled her out of her reverie. She looked at him, trying to hide her instinctive revulsion to the skinny, greasy man with the overly expensive mismatched clothes standing before her. Instinctively, she plastering on an oft-used smile that didn't quite touch her eyes. As much as she hated the man, he had been the one responsible for turning her into a Society-class servant, when he had discovered her at the Akabeko. Her number had been upgrade to S4506 from the previous Citizen-class Number, but as a Society-class servant, she was allowed to use a stage name for her work. He could just as easily turn her back into a Citizen, and demoted Citizens were treated much, much worse than their born-Citizen counterparts. She had tasted what it was like to have a name, albeit a temporary one, and it made it that much harder for her to go back to being just a number.

"Oh but Kanryu-sama, I _loved_ your gift, but with _that_ many roses, there's no room for anything else in my bedroom. I was removing all the obstacles.."

She gave him a flirtatious smile, and slid an arm gracefully through his with long-practiced ease. Immediately the anger dissipated and his expression turned hungry as he pulled her with him forcefully into her room and air-locked the sliding door, pressing her onto the bed. As he plunged his mouth sloppily onto hers again and again, his hands fumbling at her dress, her heart wept as her sanctuary once again fell prey to her occupation – as the fastest rising courtesan in all of Tokyo V.

--------

"Sagara-sama! Sagara-sama!" Souzou Sagara smiled grimly as he turned towards the young man with the tousled brown hair and intense brown eyes calling his name. Sano had grown in the years since Souzou had found him wandering the alleyways of Tokyo III, lost and broken after barely recovering from a severe beating by a Juppongatana soldier. The fact that Sano had survived surprised Souzou, but after getting to know the boy, he attributed it to the boy's stubborn will to survive. He'd taken Sano under his wing by introducing him to the Sekihoutai and presenting him with the red headband - the distinctive mark of a member of the rebel group worn only in battle, and given the boy a name and a purpose. He'd talked Sano into going back to work for the Society as a spy for the group, and Sano had taken to the idea with a vengeance.

"Preparations are complete for tonight, sir! Everyone on this side is in position and ready to go. We'll take as many of those bastards down as we can while we're at it."

The young man grinned at Souzou eagerly, his eyes shining in anticipation. Tonight they were in the middle of making the biggest raid in the history of the Sekihoutai on the prison mines in District 3 of Tokyo II. Many influential figures who had opposed Shishio over time had been thrown into the mines never to return. If those men and women could be freed, it would do wonders for the morale of the small rebel groups scattered throughout the country. If they could free Kashiwazaki Nenji, better known as Okina, the former general of the Oniwabanshuu, perhaps they could influence at least some of the Oniwabanshuu to their side.

"Did we manage to get enough money for the Wolf?"

Sano's face immediately fell as he shook his head, and Souzou patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"That's alright. I expected as much. Thanks for the report, Sano."

He had hoped to enlist the help of the lone mercenary known only as Mibu's Wolf in the night's battle, but the meager amount of money the members of the Sekihoutai had been able to pool together hadn't been enough to sway the mercenary to their side. Souzou hoped beyond all hope that the other side hadn't enlisted him either. They were having enough trouble on their hands at it was fighting just the Soldiers. A fourth of their forces had been lost so far in the battle raging on the north side of the fortress, and only a few prisoners had been able to escape.

"Is it our turn to attack?" Sano fingered the edge of the Zanbatou strapped to his back, his whole body tense with anticipation. The other men positioned nearby looked towards him expectantly.

_I hope I'm not bringing them all to their deaths. _Souzou gripped the sword at his waist and nodded once. "It's time." He flicked his flashlight on and off in the predetermined pattern that signaled the beginning of the southern offensive attack on the District 3 mines.

Souzou and Sanosuke joined the red of the Sekihoutai as it crept over the wall and into the mines, swords in hand and ready to attack. Only two Soldiers guarded the Southeast entrance to the mines, and Souzou quickly disposed of one with a thrust of his sword. When the other Soldier yelled and charged at Souzou, Sano's Zanbatou came crashing down on the back of his skull, breaking bone. _That was easy.._ Uneasiness gnawed at the back of Souzou's head, but he attributed it to the tension felt at the enormity of their task and pushed it aside. They creeped deeper and deeper into the mines, killing a Soldier here and there on their way to the pens where the prisoners were rumored to be chained.

As they turned the corner that led them to the pens, a piercing scream ripped through the darkness of the mines and Souzou spun around, wary, putting himself between the scream and Sano, who had gone ahead to the pens. Slowly, he crept forward into the darkness in the direction from which they'd come. Something staggered and fell in front of him, and as he inched forward to see what it was, he noticed the oozing liquid pooling around the thing – the same color as the Sekihoutai headband tied around the smaller lump that was its head. The small lump lifted, and opened and closed its mouth, struggling to say something. Souzou swallowed nervously, trembling, and strained his ears, trying to listen to the thing that used to be one of his men.

"…trap… Juppo..tana.."

Souzou's eyes widened as he realized what the lump was saying and he leapt backwards, Fear beating in his heart. _If the Juppongatana are here, we don't have a chance… If the Juppongatana are here, we're all dead… _He stopped, took a breath, and felt his heart find its peace. _But at least we'll die fighting for what we believe in.. for freedom..for Nakam.._

"Sagara-san!! There's nobody here!! There's no one in the pens!" Souzou Sagara turned and saw Sanosuke, the angry, scarred boy who'd grown into a strong young man – a young man who _couldn't_ die yet, who had a future before him, who still hadn't had the opportunity to learn _anything_ about _that_. Souzou glanced once in the direction from which his man had come, checking for the enemy. Seeing none yet, he made a decision. He threw himself towards Sanosuke and grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards the pen. He shoved the younger man into a pen near the back. When Sano, confused, looked up at him and opened his mouth to protest, Souzou put a hand over his mouth. He then pulled a rolled piece of paper out of his coat, shoving it into Sanosuke's pocket. When Sanosuke reached down to pull it out and see what it was, Souzou brought the hilt of his sword down firmly on the back of the young man's head, knocking him out. _I'm sorry, Sanosuke..but it's not time for you to die..not yet._

Souzou shut the door of the pen but left it unlocked and ran back around the corner to where his man had fallen. He never heard a thing when the sword appeared out of nowhere and sliced him through from shoulder to hip. He saw only a wisp of red and a flash of gold as pain blossomed through his body. Gathering what strength he had left, he threw his sword forcefully at the blur of color and fell, Sanosuke's face frozen as a whisper of hope in his heart.

End of Chapter 2.

Phew. That's the end of the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed and please review!! I know the first two chapters have been dark, but it IS a desolate kind of world. In the next chapter, Battousai goes back to the Akabeko, we meet Misao, and…guess you'll have to wait and see!


	3. red and gold

Here's chapter 3! I finished it after coming back from a long trip over Labor Day weekend, So I hope it's in good condition. Enjoy! And as always, pleaaaase review! ) Again, it's my motivation to keep going!

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Chapter 3 red and gold

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_October 15, 2071_

_Of the four seasons of the year, I've always liked Autumn the most. In the concrete grey and synthetic green of Tokyo III, Autumn adds a unique splash of red and gold to the landscape that always leaves me feeling slightly wistful when the cold ice of winter comes and sweeps it away. The Autumn five years ago stands out particularly clearly in my memory, because it ushered in a swirl of color and something different into all of our lives. It was the catalyst to something much bigger than any of us had imagined, and it was that Autumn I think, when I truly began to love red and gold._

_- # C572134 Kamiya Kaoru_

(Taken from "The Diary of Kamiya Kaoru: A Personal History of The Society")

The warm glow filtering through the windows of the small café contrasted sharply with the cold, concrete darkness of the world outside, and like a moth to a flame, Battousai let himself once again be drawn to its embrace. The bloody battle tonight had been a particularly distressing one, though not quite as terrible as the slaughter of the Sekihoutai in Tokyo II four years ago. As always after he had performed a particularly gruesome assassination, there was the nagging feeling in his chest that had been growing over the past few years, as if somehow, this life that he was born and bred for wasn't quite _right_.

As he had after every battle since he'd dropped off the lone surviving Sekihoutai survivor on its doorstep that bloody night 4 years ago, he glided silently around to the side of the Akabeko and crouched next to a small window, hidden by the shadows of night. Slowly, he felt the battle bloodlust seep away as he drank in the scene playing out on the other side of the glass.

The young woman, C572134, was laughing cheerfully with one of the customers, a lanky, tall young man with black hair gel-ed up so high it seemed to defy gravity. _He looks like Chou.. What was that hairstyle called again? The Broom? _ Battousai had never understood the quirks of fashion in his time. His own wardrobe was limited to the variety of Soldier uniforms he had worn his entire life to accompany the high ponytail that pulled his hair back from the blood of his prey.

The man, Battousai noted, was a Citizen like the girl, marked by the barcode and numbering labeled on the back of his neck. That explained why she was so at ease with him. If the man had been from The Society, or a Soldier, it was likely she'd be bowing and apologizing to him like the Citizens always did when they served the higher classes. Battousai found his eyes drawn to her as she laughed again, the deep cerulean of her eyes sparkling with amusement. For a split second, he wondered what it would be like to have her laughing like that with him. He smirked. _Nobody ever laughs in front of a hitokiri... they just scream, and then they die. _He couldn't even remember if there had ever been a moment in his life when he himself had laughed.

The girl nodded once to the man sitting at the table and turned away, heading back to the kitchen. Battousai felt an odd shift in his chest as she left, as if some part of himself that he had never known existed had materialized with her appearance and instantly vanished with her disappearance. When he'd first seen her, she had reminded him too much of Tomoe for his comfort. The deep azure gaze of the girl-child had offered him the same cryptic promise as Tomoe's had. The feeling had overwhelmed him as it churned up the buried guilt of Tomoe's death; It had been so unnerving and different from everything he thought he knew, that he had stayed away, avoiding the Akabeko even when Soujiro and Chou had invited him along in future excursions.

When he finally came back to the Akabeko four years ago with the unconscious Sekihoutai boy, all inhibitions disappeared, and somehow, he knew that the same promise that had kept the likes of a hitokiri away would be perfect for the boy who wasn't quite a man. As he'd waited in the shadows to make sure someone found the boy, he'd seen her again --a girl whose eyes now held a trace of the pain that shaped every Citizen's life, whose tears when she saw the crumpled heap at the front door hit a chord in him that felt different from any reaction he'd ever had to Tomoe. He had been sure, then, that sending the boy to the Akabeko, a well-known Citizen-orphanage and restaurant, had been the right thing to do.

Since then, he had dropped by with Soujiro and Chou several times, but he'd never seen the look of promise in her eyes again. She had become the perfect image of etiquette and protocol between a Citizen servant and a Soldier. The only time he ever saw her relaxed and in her element was when he watched her from the other side of the glass, while she felt safe away from the restrictions of protocol and the judging eyes of the Soldiers.

A loud bang drew his attention to the door, and he narrowed his eyes as two Soldiers swaggered into the restaurant, cursing loudly. "Damn Citizens! They need to learn their place! Who did that whore think she was? Passing out on me before I'd had my fun! WAITER!! Where's the WAITER?!"

Battousai watched as the mousy, brown-haired owner of the Akabeko rushed out of the back of the restaurant and bowed low to the two Soldiers. She led them towards a booth near the side of the restaurant and gestured for them to sit. The taller of the two Soldiers backhanded her across the face, bellowing. "YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW YOUR KIND?! You're trying to shuffle us to this low-class table in THIS SECTION of the restuarant! You think we're not good enough to sit near the back where the Juppongatana and the Oniwabanshuu get to sit!? We're SOLDIERS too! We're better than scum like you!" He spat in her face. The shorter, portly soldier grinned toothily and laughed at the spectacle.

A movement on the other side of the restaurant caught Battousai's eye, and he watched as the black-haired male Citizen who'd been talking to C572134 inched towards the Soldiers, a fork in his hand. Before he could attack though, the back kitchen door swung open, and a raven-headed ball of fury leapt towards the Soldiers, a broomstick wielded above its head with two pale slender hands. Before either of the Soldiers could turn around to face their attacker, the broomstick had come down with a hard crack on the taller Soldiers arm. He howled in fury and caught the broom with his good hand as it came down again for another attack. With battle-honed skill, he shoved the broom forward into his attacker's chest and forced her to the ground. Even injured, he was stronger than a mere civilian Citizen.

Battousai's eyes widened as he recognized the cerulean blue eyes, now narrowed with fury at the Soldier towering above her. He never would have thought the attacker would be _her_. Perhaps she was stronger than he gave her credit for. He watched grimly as the tall Soldier made a gesture to his partner, indicating that he should keep an eye on the other patrons of the restaurant and make sure that they didn't interfere. The tall Soldier then licked his lips and stared down at the girl cruelly, a dark smile stretching across his face.

"Well, well, what do we have here... This little Citizen girl has some spice! You want to play with Gohei-sama do you?"

The girl's eyes flickered with fear as the tall Soldier threw himself on top of her. She tried to aim a kick between his legs, but he crushed her thighs beneath the weight of his knees and forced her arms above her head with his good hand. Even then she didn't scream, glaring angrily at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her falter.

Battousai slipped to the front of the building, just outside the front door. He wouldn't let the bastards destroy her even if they _were_ Shishio's men. Not before he understood what the promise of _Nakama-shi_ was. Now that Tomoe was dead, she was the only one who could tell him the significance of the promise. She was the only one who could decipher the ancient language and explain it to him. Only then, would the void in his heart be filled. The feeling that something was missing would disappear if only she could tell him. But if these idiots destroyed her, he would never know. He'd be stuck feeling this _wrongness_ ..this _emptiness_ forever. Battousai dropped his right hand until it hovered, lightly over the hilt of his sword, and reached for the door with his left.

As he slipped into the restaurant, he saw a quick movement in the corner of his eye. A yell and a blast of green light followed immediately, and a bloody, burnt figure crumpled in front of him at his feet. Tall, gel-ed black hair identified the man as the Citizen who'd been wielding a fork earlier. Another flash of green blazed in front of Battousai, this time aimed at him, and he flicked his sword out of its sheath whirling it in a wide arc. The green light reflected off his sword and bounced back in the direction from which it had come. The sound of a man's agonized scream and the smell of charred flesh and fat sent a tantalizing rush of battle fury through his body as he leapt toward the tall Soldier, now facing towards him, staring and shaking with fear. His portly partner lay to his side, a mass of meat and char stinking the air around him. A standard Soldier laser gun lay several feet away, untouched.

Battousai stopped in front of the tall Soldier, Gohei, his sword tight against the man's throat, drawing a tiny line of blood where it touched skin.

The man, shaking, begged for mercy, "Battousai-sama... Forgive us. We didn't know it was you...we were just defending ourselves."

Gold eyes flickered towards the black-haired girl, curled up on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed at the fallen figure of the male Citizen she'd been speaking to near the front door. The Soldier, noticing the hitokiri's gaze, sucked in quick breath.

"That bitch.. she attacked us! See my arm? We were just punishing her!!" He lifted his injured arm to demonstrate.

Battousai pressed his sword tighter against the man's throat, his eyes never leaving the girl's face. "I don't care what she did. She's _mine._ You have NO RIGHT to punish what belongs to ME."

Startled cerulean met angry gold as the girl wrenched her eyes from the dead man and looked at the hitokiri, the impact of what he'd said sinking in through the pain.

Gohei whimpered, trying to back away from the sword slicing deeper into his throat. "I..I'm sorry Battousai-sama!! We didn't know!! I'll know better next time!! Please forgive me!" Almost as quickly as it had appeared, the sword disappeared from his neck. Gohei sighed in relief. Then he screamed. The sword had slid from his throat only to fly sideways, slicing cleanly through his injured arm, severing his hand.

Battousai flicked his sword clean and sheathed it, his face impassive. "Now you don't have to worry about what she did. That's for touching what isn't yours."

The Soldier grabbed at his arm helplessly, turned, and ran out the front door of the Akabeko, putting as much distance between himself and the red-haired hitokiri as he could.

Battousai returned his golden gaze to the girl he'd saved. When he saw the storm swirling in the sapphire blue of her eyes, her hands clenched at her sides as she glared at him with a look of anger mixed with the fear of knowing who and what he was, he felt a startling pang of regret in his chest.

"Miss..." , he started hesitantly, " You're safe now."

She unclenched and clenched her fists, looking as if she wanted to glare at him but didn't know if it was proper. Finally, the storm that had been brewing in her eyes exploded. "You..you... MONSTER! How DARE you say I belong to you.. As if I were a mere THING..and a possession. You took away our NAMES! Our identities! Our self-worth! And now you want to take away my FREEDOM! How DARE You!"

Her outburst startled him. Never before in the 24 years of his life had _anyone_ dared to yell at him, much less ask if he himself dared to do anything. He felt another odd feeling in his chest. Then he remembered. She had called him a _monster_. She'd labeled him for what he was - a different race, an anomaly with his red hair and chameleon eyes. She would never be part of his world, and he would never be part of hers. She was a Citizen, and he was an elite Soldier - the 10th member of the Juppongatana, and there was protocol.

He narrowed his eyes at her and turned towards the door, his voice emotionless and cold. "If I hadn't said what I did, that Soldier would come back tomorrow and take not only you, but the lady restaurant owner, and everyone in this place. By claiming you as my own, he wouldn't dare. Say what you wish, but I saved your purity, your fellow comrades, and your life. I'll forgive the outburst as an emotional outpouring in the aftermath of a traumatic experience."

He opened the door to leave.

"Wait!!" Battousai turned at the sound of the brown-haired restaurant owner's voice. "Take her with you!" He stared at her. "It's protocol isn't it?" she continued, " If a high-ranking Soldier claims a woman as his own, he takes her with him as a personal Servant or Concubine! You claimed her.."

The blue-eyed girl turned back to her boss, mouth open and gaping. "No.. I can't leave. I don't want to go with him... I like it here at the Akabeko.."

The owner put up a hand to silence the girl and gave her a meaningful look. The girl looked long and hard at the older woman before looking down, resigned.

"Please... take her! Whatever you have her doing, she'll have a better life in Tokyo IV or V than we can give her here.. You saved her. You can't be a cruel man. She deserves better than what we can give her here.."

Battousai hesitated. The restaurant owner had a point. It _was_ protocol, and if he didn't take the girl and Gohei brought the situation to light in the Soldier ranks, they'd find it unusual that he'd left a Servant he'd claimed at the price of another man's hand out alone in Tokyo III. He hadn't planned on taking anyone with him when he'd intervened with the Soldiers, but it seemed that now he had no choice. It would be an added bonus if he could coax her to share with him the secret of _Nakama-shi_. Seeing how she seemed repulsed by him, it seemed, that would have to come with time.

"Yes... it is Protocol. I suppose I'll have to take the girl with me." Violet, flecked with gold met deep cerulean. "Pack your possessions. We have a long ride ahead of us."

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The petite girl with the long braid trailing down her back did a quick back-flip high into the air and landed lightly on the platform of her makeshift stage. A roar of applause filled the air, and she grinned as she spotted her young partner making his way through the unsuspecting crowd, a tuft of spiky black hair disappearing and reappearing as he feinted a shove or a fall. She made a sweeping bow and sneaked a peek at him again. Spinning around her stack of stage props, she unobtrusively transitioned into another acrobatic demonstration, this time with twirling pink pixie-ribbons, so-called because they pixelated in and out of sight depending on how they were wielded. As she flipped again, she noticed his backpack, too large for his small frame, gradually inflating with each "excuse me,sir" and "coming through", bulging more and more with the addition of its newly acquired contents. They wouldn't starve tonight, that was for sure.

The crowd of Citizens and Society cheered, riveted by her performance as she leapt with the ribbons twined gracefully around her body, and released them, whirling them around her like the blooming petals of a flower in spring. As the backpack edged its way in a zig-zag to the back of the crowd, she landed with a flourish, throwing the ribbons out once more in an intricate pattern before reigning them gently in, drawing them into neat piles at her feet. When she looked up again, the backpack and the boy had disappeared.

The excitement of the performance, and the anticipation of knowing that there would be a decent meal tonight flushed her cheeks as she gave a low bow.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Thank you for enjoying my humble performance! Remember, once a month at the 1st of every month you can watch _moi_, the Weasel Girl Acrobat, give a spectacular show here in Old Town Square!!"

She bowed again, picked up one of the stage hats and held it out, leaping from one end of the stage to another, catching the coins the crowd flung at her with a quick flick of the hat, and a side-step or crouch, allowing not even one piece to fall to the ground. The crowd cheered louder and she beamed.

As the crowd dispersed, she poured the contents of the hat into her purse and de-pixelated her ribbons, moving to the back of the stage to collect the rest of her props. A glint of silver caught her eye, and she looked up, startled, thinking that she'd seen the flash of a Soldier weapon. When instead, she noticed the dark-haired man in the trenchcoat – a regular patron of her monthly performances standing slightly apart from the rest of the throng, she burst into a sunny smile. She gave him a shy curtsy and blushed when she thought she caught the slightest flicker of movement in his usually impassive face. He stood still, looking at her for a few moments before turning around and disappearing into the the mass of people shuffling away into the various alleyways and streets that branched out from the square where her stage was located.

_Strange guy. He's GOT to be the Weasel Acrobat's biggest fan but I have no idea who he is, and I know almost everyone in Old Town.. _Shrugging, she threw her pack over her shoulder, and made her way into the alley her young partner had disappeared through, looking around for his trademark tuft of black hair. The people of Old Town rarely inquired about the identity of any of the characters they ran into in that particular corner of Tokyo II. Doing so could easily put them on the end of a Soldier laser-blade. She certainly wasn't about to risk her neck for a little performance vanity.

"Psst! Weasel girl! Over here!"

She followed the voice through a narrow side alley and turned a corner, finding the boy outside the Den, a ghetto filled with a patchwork of questionable characters and "disreputable" numbered Citizens, which was her home. The only reason the Soldiers tolerated the existence of the Citizens of Old Town was because it was the only part of Shishio's Tokyo where they could relieve their everyday burdens by indulging in the materialistic pleasures offered by the various streets and avenues criss-crossing the district. It was the _only_ corner of the country where Citizens and Society mingled equally in a delicate balance that was something other than the usual Master and Slave relationship of every other district in the Tokyo sectors. Together, they enjoyed the feast of odd foods of times past offered only in Old Town, and the brothels of Citizen-women for those Soldiers too low-ranked to enjoy the pleasures of the Society's beautiful Courtesans in Tokyo V. Side by side they bet on the droid battles in the Warehouse and danced to the sensuous dark beat of the intense music unique to the underground club under Old Town Square.

Old Town was where the Society came to live dangerously. It was where the Citizens came to taste a bit of equality despite their Number status. And because it bordered the far end of District 3 of Tokyo II where the prison mines were located, there were plenty of Soldiers around to find pleasure away from the desolation of the mines. As much as they disdained the thought of mingling on equal footing with Citizens, they treasured their little bit of joy in the face of constant death that much more.

She'd come here with her grandmother first to find where the Juppongatana had thrown Okina-jiisan after taking him one night when he'd come home from work. Discovering that he was in a prison in Tokyo II, she and her grandmother moved here from Tokyo III to see if there was anything they could do to help him. After coming here though, it became apparent that nobody who had been thrown into the Tokyo II prison mines ever returned alive. Angered by the fact that her husband was being confined and punished for no crime _she _had heard of, her grandmother left the then 5-year old weasel girl with the residents of the Den and charged off to the prison on her own to demand his release. The old woman had never returned from that trip, and the girl grew up under the colorful guidance of all the residents of the Den. Eventually, she could navigate Old Town like a fish in water, and her cheery disposition endeared her to even the shadiest residents of the Den. They affectionately called her "Weasel Girl", for the way she weaseled her way out of any situation, be it with Citizen or Society, and Yahiko, her sworn partner since they'd first met a year ago, they called the "Brat".

The Myoujin family had been a prominent member of Society before they fell out of favor with Shishio's Court, but not so much to be disposed of. Instead, they'd been exiled to the Den, and so Yahiko Myoujin was one of the few Citizens allowed a name.

The weasel girl patted Yahiko on the head. "Good work today, Yahiko-chan!"

He grinned brazenly. "The Society never knew what hit them! Think of the feast we'll have tonight. Something other than rice and miso for once! You think we'll be able to make it all the way to Tokyo III where the real food's at? We have enough money now."

The weasel girl shrugged off her pack and threw it in the corner of the tiny corner of the Den she shared with Yahiko. Then she scowled. "You know as well as I do that it's almost impossible to get across the border. Plus, the money needs to last us for at least a week."

Yahiko pouted. "You're just scared! The Shishio's stupid Soldiers don't scare me. My dad used to be a Soldier! _I've _got what it takes to take them on. You're a coward!"

"Don't be such a baby, Yahiko. Tokyo III's way too far from the Den. We'd have to go all the way around the prison mines. Plus, I hear Shishio's Oniwabanshuu guard the border between Tokyo II and III. You've heard stories about how they torture grown men for just looking their way!! I hear that some men get burned to death before they even know what hit them! We have no chance against them! I don't care how brave you are. You're just a kid and I'm just..a weasel girl."

Yahiko glared at his partner. "I'm not a kid! I'm 10 years old!" Slightly mollified by the thought of staying safely in the Den, far away from the horrors of the Oniwabanshuu, he added, "Fine..we'll just go to the Shirobeko then..Sae's food always tastes good."

The weasel girl flashed a brilliant smile and patted him on the head again. " There's a good little boy.."

"I'm not a _little_ boy!!"

Sorting out their newly-acquired treasure, the weasel girl grabbed just enough money for a good meal at the Shirobeko and stuffed the rest of their loot from the afternoon under a loose board beneath the rags that made up her bed. Satisfied, that it was decently hidden, she shot a mischievous smile at Yahiko.

"I'll race you to the Shirobeko!", she yelled over her shoulder as she darted out of their shack and ran out into the alley.

"Hey that's not fair!" And the two partners raced madly through the Den's maze of back streets and alleyways, disappearing into the delicious and colorful tapestry of Food Street.

A lone figure in a long, black trenchcoat materialized from the shadows, the silver band of the Oniwabanshuu conspicuous against the ebony of his coat as he secured his badge of status firmly around his arm. All along the streets, the people quickly lowered their eyes as he passed, afraid that if they looked up, he'd freeze them with his stare. Ignoring them, he hailed a Society hovercab at the far end of Food Street and climbed briskly in.

"Tokyo III border station."

As he settled into the hovercab, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pink pixie-ribbons dancing through his mind - a blushing smile and a graceful curtsy coaxing the slightest smile to the corners of his mouth in the comfortable darkness of the cab.

_Okina-sama, Misao-chan's not a child anymore. Even if, as a Soldier, I haven't been able to fulfill my promise to take care of her.. she's blossomed here on her own..as a beautiful woman.. a Citizen woman thriving on her own. She's everything the Society isn't. If you could see her...you would be so proud. _

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End of Chapter 3

Thanks for reading! Remember to review if you like!

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Author's notes:

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I've received some comments (Scarred Sword Heart and Onhiro) of the depressing nature of this fic, and I have to start by saying, I'm a huge fan of happy endings. Sad stories in general hit a deep chord in me, but if they end on a sad note, I finish feeling empty and dissatisfied. I can't guarantee that there won't be sad moments in my fic. It IS a dystopia after all, but I CAN assure you that the ending, at least, will be satisfying. As you saw in this chapter, even in a world as desolate as this one, there are glimpses of joy and hope throughout the country.

Onhiro: Concerning Kaoru's diary entry at the beginning of each chapter..the fic will be split into multiple parts... in the first "part" every chapter is prefaced by an excerpt from Kaoru's diary. In the next part, it will be from some other document.. or another character's writings..etc.. that may have been written after Kaoru's diary entries- so don't start guessing the ending of the fic by what you read in just one entry of a diary .

Scarred Sword Heart: As for the ages of the characters. This fic will cover a span of 10 years or more in its totality. They start out as children – Kaoru (10), Kenshin (17) in Chapter 1, Sano (14), Megumi (17) in Chapter 2, Starting Chapter 3, they are the ages that they will be for the majority of the fic - Kenshin (24), Kaoru (17) in Chapter 3, etc..

Considering Kenshin was 28 in the manga/anime and Kaoru was 17.. I'd say there's still a chance of romance between the two of them despite the current 7-year age gap.


	4. a name

The Secret of Nakama-Shi

By MeiEden

Author's note: This is a Rurouni Kenshin AU fic. I will try to keep the characters somewhat in character personality-wise, but please note that a few ages will NOT coincide with those found in the anime/manga. I hope you like it, and if you feel so inclined, PLEASE review! Thanks.

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chapter 4 – a name

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_November 12, 2071_

_At some point in every Citizen's life, a desire for change manifests in the heart – a desire to do something about our hopeless situation, for a real identity and a sense of belonging. But most Citizens live their whole lives knowing only that they serve Leader Shishio as yet another Servant to live and die as a statistic and a number. None of us ever thought _we_ would have the opportunity to create Change in a Static Society. When I met _Him_ that fateful Autumn day, I thought the little pride and freedom allotted me as a Citizen were being stripped away. After all, _he _was a _Hitokiri_, a monster… AND a member of the elite Juppongatana – a monster of monsters then. Little did I know, that our meeting—the meeting of a Number and the Perfect Government Soldier—would play such a huge part in the biggest Change that Shishio's regime had ever seen, and that it would change my life forever.._

_- # C572134 Kamiya Kaoru_

(Taken from "The Diary of Kamiya Kaoru: A Personal History of The Society")

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The girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she felt Battousai's violet-gold gaze on her face. She nervously pushed a strand of long, black hair out of her face and kept her eyes averted towards the window. She knew she ought to be thankful for his intervention at the Akabeko, but she couldn't help feeling angry and resentful for having her freedom stripped away from her, and fearful for being forced to share a Society hovercar with a _hitokiri_.

She snuck a furtive glance in his direction. Blazing red hair and eyes that shifted color with his mood—inhumanly beautiful traits characteristic of the unnatural _hitokiri. _He was like a poisonous snake, pleasing to the eye, but deadly to touch.

_Of all the beautiful women he could have as an elite Soldier, why did he have to claim me? _The girl knew she wasn't as beautiful as the Courtesans of Tokyo V. As powerful as this man probably was, being both a _hitokiri_ and a member of Shishio's Juppongatana, he could have ANY woman he desired. She both seethed and trembled as he shifted in his seat. _Does he want what that other Soldier wanted? But in the privacy of this hovercar?_ She snuck another glance at him, and quickly averted her eyes again. He was staring straight at her. _Please don't let him hurt me.. please don't let him want THAT.._

"Since you're coming with me to Tokyo V.."

She looked up at him, startled. She hadn't expected him to speak to her. He hadn't spoken a single word since she'd left with him an hour prior. Not to mention, the Elites almost never spoke to the Citizens unless they were ordering them around.

"… you should have a name. There aren't any Numbers in Tokyo V…"

Her jaw dropped, and she stared at him, open-mouthed. "A… a name?"

He nodded. "Everyone in Tokyo V has a Name. Although the Servants' names aren't _Names_ so much as labels. They have their Numbers still, but having Labels makes it easier to call for them." The girl grimaced. The tiny hope that had flickered to life in her heart dimmed slightly. _Not a name then… just something to make it easier for them to order us around. But…not a Number either- an Identity... of sorts. _

Then she clenched her fists, realizing. "You're trying to buy my freedom with a Name! The Society wouldn't let a mere Citizen have an Identity so easily! You all use us however you like! Well I'm not… "

She clamped her mouth shut as she saw Battousai's eyes blaze from violet to gold. Quickly she bowed her head low in obeisance, automatically switching to accepted Protocol. "I apologize, M-…M-..Master. Please punish your Servant as you see fit…" She felt her body begin to tremble and tears welled in her eyes as the gravity of her actions hit her. _How could I be so stupid! He has the authority and power to torture me..to break and destroy me.. How could I have been such an idiot?? How many times has Sano-niichan told me to hold my temper around Soldiers..and here I am blowing up an an Elite Soldier no less…for…for offering me a Name, even if it's not a real one? He's going to murder me…_

She squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting her inevitable punishment. A minute passed…two minutes..then five. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the eyes now violet, flecked with gold. "In a way, you're right. That's what the Numbers were designed to do – break a Citizen's spirit by stealing her Identity. And many of the Society exploit the weakness for their own desires."

The girl opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again as Battousai lifted a hand. "But if I had left you at that café, Gohei or his Soldier Company might be back to finish what they started, and nobody would be there to stop them the next time. "

She looked at him confused. _He was really helping me then? Not..for himself? _She found it hard, no, impossible to believe. Never in her 17 years had she seen a Soldier do _anything_ for the benefit of a Citizen. Surely he had a selfish plan hidden up his sleeve somewhere.

He took a breath. "So I claimed you as mine. Neither he nor anyone else in The Society besides Shishio and the Juppongatana can touch you now. This way..is most likely the safest. And if you're coming to Tokyo V under the guise of being mine, you will have to have a Name. Otherwise it won't be convincing."

She stared at him uncomprehending. "So..I'm _pretending_ to belong to you???" Battousai nodded. "I have no interest in taking a Consort or Lover. I'll keep you as my Servant for a few years until Gohei's forgotten about you, and then I'll return you to the café. The Society will think I've lost interest in you. Your… freedom… is mine only temporarily.."

She stared at him. "You'll…let me go back..?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This elite Soldier had not only gone out of his way to interfere with the other Soldiers at the Akabeko, he was taking her under his wing until it was safe to go? Or at least that's what he was telling her.

He merely looked back at her. "There's no reason to keep you around afterwards."

She eyed him suspiciously. There was no way a Soldier would sacrifice his own resources and time to watch over her without wanting something in return. But for now, his offer seemed sensible and too appealing to pass up.

"Thank you, Master. I appreciate your willingness to claim me. I will Serve and Obey as only a Citizen may." She bowed again in obeisance as she finished the Servant mantra.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Battousai's eyes at the word, _Master_. "Please call me Battousai.."

She looked at him again, surprised. _What a strange Soldier._ "Battousai-…sama…" she whispered, "…the strongest fighter.."

A shadow crossed over him, and she felt him close himself off for a moment. Although he wasn't looking at her, she felt a chill freeze her body as his eyes blazed gold with anger….and a quick flash of pain.

The moment passed as soon as it started. He took a breath. "And now..to Name you." She looked at him in anticipation, all apprehension washed from her for the moment by the excitement of realizing that from this day on, she could be referred to as something other than a Number.

"Tom-.." he started, then stopped, and thought for a moment. The girl remained silent as she waited for him to snap out of his reverie. Then he turned to her and looked her straight in the eye as he amended, "Kaoru….Kamiya Kaoru will be your Name."

She wanted to ask him where the name had come from, and why he had chosen another name at first before changing his mind, but the closed expression on his face stopped her and she remained silent. It didn't really matter. After all, she had a Name now..a Label to the Society, perhaps. But to her, it was a Name that was all her own. The greatest gift she'd ever been given had been bestowed upon her by a _hitokiri_.

Slowly, deliberately, she tasted the name on her lips. "Kamiya..Kaoru.."

And then the tears began to fall.

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Sanosuke slammed his fist into the wall once, twice,… a hundred times, until the skin on his knuckles had peeled away and all he could see was red. He punched until he couldn't feel the pain anymore. Breathing hard, he collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor, numb. They had broken him when they took the Fox. They had taken away his hope when they murdered Sagara-sama, and now that they had taken the last person in the world he had left to love, they'd taken away his hope. All that was left was pain…and anger. He had nothing left to lose, nothing left to fear. They'd taken it all.

At the edge of his anger, he heard a door open and close softly.

"Hey Sano…" Katsu's voice sifted through the haze of red. "Man..what'd you do to your hands..?"

Sanosuke looked towards the voice and stared blankly at its source. Katsu shifted uncomfortably under the dead gaze.

"Hey.. I heard what happened to Raccoon-chan.. I'm really sorry. I know she was like a little sister to you and all.."

When he received only silence as a reply, Katsu tried again. "I brought what you asked for the other day. It took me a while to get out of Old Town with them, but maybe the Shin Sekihoutai can make an impact with these babies…" He sifted through the box he'd carried in with him and picked out a laser blade in one hand and a timed grenade in the other, waving them in front of Sano.

Sanosuke stared hard at the weapons being brandished haphazardly in his face, feeling something stir in his chest. _Weapons…_ In his mind's eye, he saw explosions, fire and blood,.. he remembered the sensation of knowing that the Sekihoutai had been overpowered by the sheer technology of the weaponry wielded by the enemy. By the numbers. By the element of surprise. By the skill of the Juppongatana. They'd been utterly wiped out. _Weapons…_ He remembered being carried, lifted away from death, waking up on the front porch of the Akabeko with the Raccoon crying over him, his Zanbatou still at his side. _Weapons… _He remembered forming the Shin Sekihoutai with Katsu, the only other remaining member of the Sekihoutai who'd been absent due to illness the night of the slaughter, the only other one of his friends who had a "name". _Weapons…_ It had been their goal to acquire as many tools of destruction as they could – people, skills, connections within all the Tokyo sectors, and…_Weapons…_which were now being flailed in his face.

He grabbed Katsu's hand – the one with the grenade.

"You shouldn't be waving shit like that around. You could kill someone."

The other man grinned amiably. "Isn't that the point?"

Sanosuke nodded slowly. "Yes… yes it is. Katsu,… don't you think it's about time the Shin Sekihoutai started _doing_ something about the things we've been griping about all these years? Don't you think its time we start _using_ some of these connections we've worked so hard to make?"

Katsu shrugged. "I've been saying it all along. And _I've_ been using my connections. How do you think I got _this_ stash all the way from Old Town with the Oniwabanshuu guarding the borders? _You're_ the one whose got a cozy job up in Tokyo V and don't use it to your advantage."

Sanosuke frowned. "I've _tried_. You know I've been looking for the Fox and trying to get in on some inside information. It's like they've locked her in a room someplace and thrown away the key. I can't find her _anywhere_."

"Sano, man, I hate to break it to you, but you know as well as I do that when the Juppongatana take them.. you just assume they're dead…"

"They're NOT dead. I would _know_ if they were dead. And I'm going to get them back. Can you get more weapons? If I call all of the Shin Sekihoutai together, and we have enough weapons, we can plan a raid on Tokyo V."

Katsu stared at his friend, gaping. "Are you _crazy????_ Did scraping up your hands dislodge something in your brain?? You want our little ragtag band of rebels to take on Leader Shishio and the Juppongatana?! You're crazy. Definitely crazy. Not to mention all the Soldiers swarming all over Tokyo V. Even if we snuck in as Servants, there's NO way we could pull something that big off. Breaking into the prison mines in Tokyo II would be easier."

Sanosuke glared. "Can you get more weapons?"

The other man folded his arms against his chest. "I can.. but not for something insane like this…"

"Then we can do like you suggested. We can try breaking into the prison mines again. We can recruit the inmates to our side…and THEN we can break into Tokyo V."

Katsu started to shake his head, "But _last time.._"

"_Last time_, the Juppongatana were there, and we didn't expect them to be. _Last time_, we didn't have weapons. We didn't have the element of surprise. Somehow, we were compromised. We didn't have as many members either. AND, we didn't have the Wolf."

"The WOLF? How the hell are you going to find the WOLF? Are you serious? Where are we going to come up with enough money to hire that kind of mercenary?!"

Sano smiled. "Who said I wasn't using my cozy job in Tokyo V to my advantage?"

Katsu shook his head. "You bastard. You had all this money and you didn't tell anyone about it."

"I was going to save it for the Raccoon… she wanted her own sword. But if I can use it to further our cause so that someday I can free her and the Fox, then it's being put to good use."

Katsu ran his fingers through his long black hair and sighed. "It's a crazy idea but it sounds doable. I can get us into Old Town, and we can set up a base from there."

Sanosuke pumped his fist in the air. "That's what I'm talking about. We'll take down those Society bastards one step at a time!"

"Maybe you should get your fists bandaged first… let's make that your first step… then you can think about taking bigger ones.."

-------

End of Chapter 4

Author's note: Hope you guys liked that chapter! I have all these ideas swimming in my head for stuff to write about in later chapters. I hope it's coming together well and that you guys enjoy the story so far. :) Please let me know if you like it/don't like it so I can improve. Review Review! It's my fuel to keep on writing!!

Reviewers:

sulou – I'm glad you like it!! Keep on reading!

Scarred Sword Heart – ah well Yahiko _is_ a boy at _that_ age after all, when they think they're invincible! Thanks again for commenting!

Onhiro – I'm writing, I'm writing :) Thanks for the encouragement! I want the characters' emotions and situations to be somewhat realistic – happy moments, sad moments, angry moments, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to capture it all well in my writing.


	5. two sides

**The Secret of Nakama-Shi**  
By MeiEden

Author's note: This is a Rurouni Kenshin AU fic. I will try to keep the characters somewhat in character personality-wise, but please note that a few ages will NOT coincide with those found in the anime/manga. I hope you like it, and if you feel so inclined, PLEASE review! Thanks.

**chapter 5 two sides **

_December 5, 2071_

_In a divided world where Society vs. Citizen, Master vs. Servant, Comfort vs. Fear are the norm, it's hard to believe that there are 'two sides to the same coin', as the saying goes. Growing up with Sano-niichan and the Shin Sekihoutai, all of us at the Akabeko had come to accept that the Society was evil and the Soldiers were monsters. After moving to Tokyo V, the Black and White blurred to Gray, and the class lines I'd known my entire life criss-crossed in patterns I'd never believed could exist. In Tokyo III, the distinct segregation of Good and Evil gave those of us who believed we were Good hope in knowing there was an Evil to rebel against. On the other hand, Megumi once told me that in Tokyo V, believing that not everything is a hundred percent Black or White gives the inhabitants the will to live, to know that they aren't destroying everything and everyone they'd ever known and cared about. At the time though, for all of us who'd lived as Numbers under the oppression of Leader Shishio's rule, the concept of the Society being even 0.00001 Good, was unfathomable._

_- # C572134 Kamiya Kaoru_

(Taken from "The Diary of Kamiya Kaoru: A Personal History of The Society")

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Megumi smiled languidly at Chou as he buttoned his shirt and smoothed up his hair. He flashed her boyish grin and sighed contentedly.

"They don't call you the best for nothing Megumi. That was… amazing."

Megumi winced inwardly. Occasionally she enjoyed taking clients like Chou – young, eager, and easy to please, but if she was expecting poetry or sophistication, or even an intellectual conversation after the usual deed was done, she knew she'd have to look elsewhere.

Long ago, she'd learned to accept her role as the best Courtesan in Tokyo V and all the perks that accompanied it – not because she enjoyed it, but because she'd likely end up dead otherwise. Her clients were too powerful and too dangerous, and they fiercely coveted the rare pleasures she bestowed upon them. If she so much as hinted she wasn't interested in her mandatory occupation anymore, her life would be forfeit.

She'd long dismissed the shame that used to overcome her after every visit with a client. This was what she _was_ now - a Society prostitute with a fancy name, and there was nothing she could do to change that… The Juppongatana, the Oniwabanshuu, occasionally Shishio himself and his Consort Yumi were all clients of hers. After meekly obeying for so many years, before she knew it, she'd become too entwined in the attentions of the Society to disengage herself anymore.

At least she could select clients like Chou, who occasionally tried to give her back a little pleasure, over violent bastards like Kanryuu, who only knew how to take and take until they left her bruised and sore afterwards for days.

"Hey Megumi.."

She looked up at the tall, blonde Juppongatana Soldier through her lashes, a non-physical technique which, she'd been told, could melt a man where he stood in seconds. Chou, it seemed, was not immune. He swallowed nervously.

"Megumi..you wanna accompany me to the Hall in a bit? Apparently everyone's congregating and pigs can fly because Battousai's brought a girl home with him. If _he _has a girl next to him, _I'll_ look bad if I don't have someone next to me, since I'm the only other good-looking guy besides Soujiro and Kamatari in the Juppongatana, but one's clueless, and the other's gay... and since you're the prettiest girl in Tokyo V …"

Megumi raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him. "Battousai brought a girl here?" she asked incredulously. He nodded.

"Crazy huh? I hear he hasn't been around a girl since To…" He stopped and shifted uncomfortably as if he'd said something he shouldn't. She knew the story though. _Tomoe_, who was her predecessor – previously the best Courtesan in Tokyo V, and the only woman, it was rumored, that Battousai had ever been with. She had died suddenly, and the Society stopped talking about her after that. Megumi hadn't ever heard of _how_ she had died, only whispers that she'd been murdered.

Many Courtesans had vied for Battousai's attention since he'd first come to Tokyo V as the tenth member of the Juppongatana. A man _that_ handsome with such exotic coloring and unparalleled skill with the blade was bound to be popular. They could only speculate at how he'd perform in bed, and they'd pursued aggressively in futile attempts to satisfy their curiosity, but he'd coldly ignored every one of them.

She passed him herself occasionally at public functions when she accompanied influential members of Society, but unlike the other women, she'd never felt the slightest desire to have him in _her _bed. He projected anger and violence, and a coolness that sent shivers through her body. She'd had dangerous clients in bed before and been left salved and bandaged for weeks afterwards, but what she felt from him was positively _dark_. She couldn't tell if it was _him_ that was damaged or if he wanted to inflict damage on everything around him. Maybe it was the fact that he was a _hitokiri._ They weren't quite human, after all. To think that the darkness had softened enough for him to accept a _woman_ was unbelievable. She had to see what kind of woman would be able to tame _that_ monster.

Chou cleared his throat, interpreting her silence as reluctance. "I'll pay you extra.. Since it's not really a service we agreed upon."

Megumi flashed him a brilliant smile and deftly picked up her clothes and dressed herself. Although she would have accompanied him without the extra incentive, money was always a welcome bonus. "I'll go with you. That'll be 30,000 yen extra."

The blonde man winced. "Ouch, that's steep. Can't you discount it for me a bit?"

Megumi pouted skillfully. "Chou 3 I'm an expensive woman."

"Okay okay!" He slipped her the money, and she hid it away in the folds of her scarlet dress before fitting herself perfectly against his body. _This'll be a good bonus to send the Akabeko_. Since she'd risen high enough in Society to earn some privacy, she'd tried to send small envelopes of money anonymously to her old home every month. It was the least she could do to help the Raccoon and Sanosuke with whatever stage in life they were currently at. A tendril of wistfulness tickled the back of her mind for a moment, and then passed. That life was over. She was Megumi now, currently paid to be a Juppongatana Soldier's escort, and she would do her job well.

Megumi followed Chou to the Main Hall where Shishio held his public audiences and congregated with his Juppongatana. She'd been there several times before, but the sight of the twin glass towers adjacent the ebony staircase carved with dragons swirling up the center of the Hall never failed to captivate her attention. The sheer beauty of those structures alone could make a person forget how desolate Tokyo II and III were in comparison.

"Megumi...what a pleasure it is to have you here with us..." a voice hissed softly in her ear. She spun around in alarm and fell against Chou as she tripped slightly. The blonde man caught her arm and glared at the blind man who'd spoken.

"Don't creep up on her like that, Usui, and she's with _me_ tonight." The blind man laughed coolly. "Another night then.." Megumi shivered slightly. Usui wasn't a client she enjoyed. Because of his blindness, his supernaturally acute senses could see into her in ways that a normal man's eyes never could, and he used the knowledge he gained from her physically with cunning and cruelty. It was men like him that reminded her clearly of her Servant status here in Tokyo V despite her Name. And because he was Juppongatana, she couldn't refuse him, and was forced to endure his unwanted attention.

Usui grinned at her obvious discomfort. "Seeing THAT little kitten has me in _a mood... _I can't help myself." He licked his lips and turned his face towards a girl Megumi had never seen before. As her eyes fell upon the source of his attention, she felt a strong feeling of familiarity rise up within her. She stared at the cerulean eyes rimmed with long, raven lashes , huge in the pale, thin face, looking about in suspicion, fear, and barely veiled curiosity. _I know this girl.. how do I know her? _

Before she could focus her thoughts, a flash of scarlet and gold blurred her vision and obscured the girl from view. Battousai stood rigidly in the path of the rest of the Juppongatana, his hand barely touching the blade at his waist.

"Give her some room. She's not a circus show."

Kamatari _tsk_ed disappointedly. "We had to see if she was _real._ It's not everyday _the _Hitokiri Battousai brings home a _woman. _And here I thought you were like _me._ We could have made a lovely pair, you and me." He ran an elegant hand through his styled, violet-dyed hair and let out an extravagant sigh.

As the rest of the Juppongatana moved back to form a wider circle around the couple, the hitokiri slowly stepped aside, and touched the girl lightly on the arm. She flinched slightly, then hesitated, as if thinking better of it, and then allowed him to steer her forward.

"This is Kaoru Kamiya. Starting from today, she belongs to me." The girl bowed low in practiced Citizen obeisance, and Megumi felt the flutter of recognition disappear in a wave of disappointment. No one she'd ever known had had a Name except Sanosuke, and his was self- proclaimed. Megumi studied the girl more closely - she was pretty in an innocent kind of way - not the sensual beauty that Megumi herself was, but with some polishing, the girl could be quite beautiful. But even _pretty _wasn't enough to explain why Battousai had taken an interest in the girl so great that he'd claimed her as his own - untouchable by anyone else except Shishio and the Juppongatana.

Kaoru, feeling herself being observed, looked up towards Megumi, and as the two women's eyes met, Megumi felt herself _shift _uncomfortably as the other woman's eyes widened and brightened from cerulean to mild turquoise. She _didn't _know this _Kaoru Kamiya_ so why did she feel so connected... She _couldn't _be associated with this woman with the innocent blue eyes. She was too _tainted_ to have anything to do with this woman. Why did the simple act of _looking_ at her make her so uncomfortable?

Disconcerted, she grabbed Chou's arm and whispered in his ear. "Chou, can we leave now?"

Chou looked down at her curiously. "But I haven't had a chance to talk to even talk to her yet.." Seeing the look in her eyes, he stopped. "Alright.. we can go. I doubt Battousai would let any of us close enough anyway."

Megumi sighed in relief as Chou steered her towards one of the myriad doors leading out of the Main Hall. Her mind reeled as a single memory repeated itself over and over in her mind.

_"Foxie-chan! Foxie-chan! Sano-niichan says we'll always be friends.. because of Nakama-Shi. We'll always be friends, right?"_

_"Yeah,.. we'll always be friends...as long as we have Nakama-Shi."_

_A smile..a hug.. a pair of entwined hands.._

As they reached the door to her personal quarters, she gave Chou her quick customary goodbye kiss and hurried into her room without looking back,closing the door quickly behind her. Taking a deep breath, she sank to the floor, and let the tears fall as she cradled her face in her arms.

_Sorry Raccoonie-chan.. But is someone like _me _even worthy of Nakama-Shi anymore?_

--------------

The weasel girl zipped down the roads and alleys of Old Town on the air-scooter she'd managed to procure from the old Doctor. His helper usually used it to run various errands around Old Town, but it was after hours now, and she reasoned, she'd return it as soon as she finished investigating the strange occurrences Yahiko had been reporting to her.

Lately, a larger-than-average influx of suspicious characters had appeared in the area; she felt it was her duty to make sure that these oddities were fully investigated to ensure that her chosen lifestyle with Yahiko and those she cared about was protected from suspect influences. Although Old Town's close proximity to the prison mine made it a magnet for all sorts of colorful vagrants, the types who were showing up lately seemed too edgy and guarded for the usual wandering misfits.

Rumors of a raid or attack flitted through the air, following these newcomers, and a fear was stirring in the inhabitants of Old Town that Shishio and the Society would no longer turn a blind eye to the antics and unlawful mischief constantly brewing in their hometown. When Yahiko had mentioned _this_ to her, she knew she had to put a stop to this idiocy. She had managed to escape the oppression and fear of Tokyo III once. She'd been taken _here, _to Old Town and the Den, where she'd discovered a sort of independence and freedom where she was _living_ and _thriving_. She wouldn't let these _strangers_ who knew nothing of just how special and unique Old Town was to destroy _her home_.

At the sound of voices escalating near the moto-pawn shop a block away, she maneuvered her air-scooter around the corner and down a back alley, skidding to a silent stop right before she reached the open street where the shop was located. She flicked the off-switch and dismounted, pulling the vehicle behind a dumpster and out of view. Then she pressed her back against the concrete wall of an adjacent building, and peeked around the corner to see what all the commotion was about.

"Why won't you sell it to me???! I _saw_ you parade at least _four_ different air-scooters in front of the last customer! And you take one look at me and you're telling me they're not for sale? That you're done selling your inventory for today!? It's not like I don't have money! I _can_ pay you!"

Mr. Takada, the owner of Old Town Moto-Pawn, scratched at the stubble on his chin and glared at the tall, rugged young man in the dirty white t-shirt with torn jeans and a mess of tousled brown hair yelling vehemently at him.

"You sure as hell don't _look_ like you can pay for anything. I've seen enough kids like you taking out loans and putting things on tabs that you never plan to pay back! Do I LOOK like I give money to charity? I didn't think so. Now get lost!"

The young man reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, thrusting them in Mr. Takada's face. "Here's 60K yen. That should be enough to cover that black piece of crap scooter in the back!"

The old moto-pawn shop owner stared dumbfoundedly at the money for a moment, caught himself, and then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Where'd you get that money, son? People looking like you don't just drop 60 thousand yen in cash in one day. And if the rumors are true, more of your type are spending too much too fast in these parts lately."

"It's none of your business where I get my money." The brown-haired man angrily stuffed the cash back in his pockets. "Whatever. I'll find someone else who'll sell to me.." Turning on his heel, he angrily stormed away from the older man and started to head towards the alley the girl was currently spying from. Alarmed, she pulled herself back into the shadows and slipped behind the dumpster, next to the old Doctor's air-scooter.

The young man stalked into the alleyway and slammed his bandaged fixed against the concrete wall. "Damn it! I told Katsu to tell everyone to be careful with their spending!"

The weasel girl winced as she saw the scarlet blossom against the white of his bandaged fist. _What kind of idiot re-injures a messed up hand on purpose? What is he, some kind of masochist? _She studied the newcomer curiously. He seemed young - not much older than herself, with dangerous fiery eyes full of anger and old pain. His attire screamed poorer-than-the-average Citizen, but he'd flashed the money like it was nothing. Of course, that could easily have all been attitude in order to trick old Mr. Takada into thinking he was a rich guy playing the pauper. Could this guy be one of the suspicious people who were cropping up lately? He'd mentioned "others", which meant he definitely hadn't come to Old Town alone.

When the man suddenly stopped in front of her dumpster, she pressed her body against the ground and held her breath, alarmed. _Did he see me?_ He squinted his eyes and stared into the darkness, and she prayed he hadn't seen her. What excuse could she have for hiding behind a dumpster in an abandoned alley?

Suddenly, the young man's face broke into a grin. "Look at what I found..looks like I'm gonna be lucky today after all!" The girl's eyes widened as he moved towards the dumpster. Her hand immediately flew to the knife she always secured to her thigh with a strap. One could never be too safe in Old Town - she always carried hidden weapons underneath her clothing, but this was the first time she'd ever needed to use one.

As he stepped closer and closer, she undid the clasps holding the knife in place and slid the knife slowly into her right hand, being careful not to make any noise. She'd heard too many stories about dirty testosterone-bloated jerks cornering unsuspecting women in dark corners and having their way with them not to know what this bastard was about. He sounded way too happy about finding a girl all alone in a deserted alley.

She took a deep breath, grasped the knife tightly and _leaped_, throwing herself at him with all her strength. She heard a surprised yell as her body make contact with its intended target. Then a large, bandaged hand closed around her wrist, surprising her enough to knock the knife from her fingers, and she felt panic begin to rise in her throat. Her momentum had been enough to knock both her and the young man down though - onto the borrowed air-scooter.

"What the f..!" The weasel girl didn't wait to hear what else he had to say. She threw her other, unrestricted fist towards the voice, and watched in shock as it stopped just short of his face. He'd caught both her hands, and he looked pissed.

"What the hell was that for?! Where did YOU come from!? If it was your scooter you shoulda just _said_ something! What's wrong with people in this place?!"

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him, and all the pent up tension and fear from a moment ago disappeared instantly. _All he wanted was the moto-scooter?! He didn't even _see _me???_ It seemed absurdly amusing after all that suspense. She burst out laughing. The man scowled, still holding her wrists, reluctant to let go of her for fear that she'd attack him again.

"Sorry.. hahaha..I thought you were going to do something weird to _me!"_

He frowned and gave her a strange look. "I didn't even _see _you, and do I _look _like a pedophile? Sorry, but little kids aren't really my thing. I prefer the sexy older type.."

Because her hands were currently unavailable, she kicked him in the shin. He'd hit a soft spot. "I'm _not_ a kid! I'm 16 years old, thank you very much. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to judge by appearances? _I _wouldn't go around calling you a _Rooster-head_ just because you look like one! And by the way, you can let go of my hands now!"

He groaned and dropped her hands, mumbling under his breath. "Violent girl. It's not my fault you look underdeveloped. You didn't have to kick me."

She glared and put her hands on her hips, cocking her head to one side. He didn't seem _too _bad. More like an annoying older brother. "You can call me the Weasel Girl. That's what they call me around here." She gave her performance bow. "I'm sorry I attacked you. I guess you kind of surprised me."

He gave her a lop-sided grin. "Apology accepted. We're even anyway because I called you a kid. You kind of seem like it though. If you're 16, you're about a year younger than my little sister, and I _still _see her as a kid sometimes. Anyway, I saw that air-scooter there behind the dumpster, and since it seems like nobody wanted it, I was going to salvage it."

_This guy has a little sister? Maybe he's one of those tough-guy-on-the-outside-softie types. _"Yeah, I guess we're even. :) But ummm..this scooter's not yours to take. I borrowed it from Dr. Gensai..so.."

He sighed, "Figures.. I _thought_ something was weird. I'm not usually so lucky.."

She eyed him curiously. "Why do you want an air-scooter so bad anyway?"

The lop-sided grin disappeared. The fiery eyes darkened in pain. "...So I can save my sister..."

------------------

end of chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for sticking with the story and reading it so far! Hope you guys like it, and please tell me what you think. ) Reviews are a fanfic writer's food for thought. haha. JK, but if you feel so inclined to leave a note, I'd be happy to read it! The more I write, the more ideas I have for the characters.

**Thanks to my readers/reviewers from last chapter:**

**Scarred Sword Heart **- Thanks for continuously following the story and leaving comments. ) Yeah, all the characters will go through varying degrees of change throughout the fic. And then there will be the static evil characters, like, obviously, Gohei, Shishio, etc.  
**Onhiro** - Thanks to you too for continuing to follow the story and spur me on as well. It's encouraging to know my characters are realistic in a way that readers can relate to.  
**reitahomoeshi **- I'm glad you like the story and my writing :). I'm always trying to improve the quality of my writing. I'm far from great, but I read a lot and always take tips from friends and reviewers.  
**E.J.A Roberts **- I've had the concept in mind for a while actually. I've always enjoyed reading AU fics about my favorite anime and manga characters, so I thought I'd try my hand and writing one..and wha-laa..here it is.  
**DemonSaya **- Glad you like the story and the concept! I'm trying to keep the characters in the general framework of who they were in the anime/manga. Hopefully I haven't strayed too far from the original, but sometimes it's difficult with an AU. I'm glad you like my portrayal.


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